Counterbalance for doors.



G. N. COLE.

GOUNTERBALANCE FOR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1912.

1 ,109,823, Patented Sept. 8, 1914 2 SHEETS'SHEET 1.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-THO. WASHING roN, D. c.

G. N. COLE.

GOUNTERBALANGE FOB. DOORS.

APPLICATION TILED APRJ, 1912.

1,109,823. Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

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By [/l I e I Azlarue THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHDTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED sr trEs P T NT o FIoE.

GEORG 1v. com, or rr R Mo'N'rcLnIR, NEW JERSEY.

coU TEnBALANcE Eon noons.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE N. COLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Upper Montclair, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Count'erbalance for Doors, of which the following is a specification. g

This invention is a device for counterbalancing the weight of doors, and more especially that type of hinged doors which are used on piers, marine vessels, and other structures.

Doors of the type referred to are hinged at their upper ends for movement on a horizontal axis so that the door will swing by gravity to a closed position, in which positionthe door hangs perpendicularly from its suspending means. Difliculty is experienced in swinging doors of this type to an open position, for the reason that the door must be pushed or pulled from a perpendicular position to a horizontal position or to an inclined posit-ion, in consequence of which the opening of the door is opposed by a resistance due to the weight of the door and the increased leverage exerted by said door as it is moved from its normal gravity position toward an open position.

This invention provides means whereby the weight of a counterbalance is increased proportionately to the elevation of the door, so that the greatest weight and leverage of "the door is opposed by a proportionate increase in the weight of the counterbalance.

The invention. provides means, also, for supporting and controlling the movement of the counterbalance during the movement of the door with which said counterbalance is associated.

More specifically; stated, the invention embodies a counterbalance comprising a plurality of weights, preferably connected flexibly together, said counterbalance being adapted to ride upon a rotatable support'in such manner that an increased leverage of, the door is opposed by a proportionate increase in the weight of the counterbalance.

Other features of novelty, and advantages of the invention, will appear from the following detailed description taken'in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of my counterbalance mechanism as applied to a two-part hinged door of a pier, the door being in section and shown Specification of Letters l'ate nt.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

' Application filed April 1, 1912. 1 Serial No. 687,688.

in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.- Fig. 3 saf sectional elevation of the counterbalance n connection witha unitary hinged door, theparts being shown in the positionthey occupy when the door is opened. 4: 1s a vertical section taken longitudinally through the drums on the line 4- L of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5'isa cross section on the .line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 the door is shown as consistiugof two parts, 10, 11, slidably connected together, but the particular form of the door is not material, for the reason that in Fig. 3 I have shown the invention in connection with a single solid door 10. 'Accordingly,

it will be understood that the invention may beused in connection with any kind of ,a door usually employed for closing the opendoor sectionll being fitted slidably in. the

guides, wherebythe lower section may be raised or slid upwardly upon the upper sectionprior to liftingt-he door from its normally closed posit-ion.

' The door is hinged or pivoted at itsupper edge to a part of the structure, said hinge or pivot being of any'usu'al form, and indicated 211312.111 Figs. 1 and 3. Positioned adjacent to thed oor, and preferably :at a

point abovethe' hinge thereof, is a horizontal shaft 1 1, the. same being journaled'in bearings 15 of suitable hangers 16. Upon this shaft is firmly fixed the two parts 17,

18 of a rotatable drum, said drum rotating with the shaft; or, ifgdesired, the shaft may be fixed within the bearings 15 by suitable devices, and the drum mounted loosely on the shaft. .Inadd ition ,to the two parts 17, 18 of the drum, said drumis provided with .ings in piers, vessels and other structures,

a section 19, the latter being formed with sprocket wheels 20, 21.. -These sprocket wheels are'spaced on the shaft or the drum so that the members of a flexible counterweight will pass between the sprocket wheels during the rotation of the drum, thereby precluding displacement of the flexible counterbalance from operative relation with respect to the sprocket wheels and the drum. As-shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the sprocket 'wheels are; provided on their. peripheries with recesses or notches 22-, for the purpose of receiving the cross rods 2 ofthe members composing the flexible counterweight.

The counterbalance consists of a series I of weight members 23 which are flexibly connected in any suitable or desired manner. As shown, each weight is provided at one end with a recess 24, and at its other end with a tongue 25, said recesses and tongues of the counterweights being so formed and related to each other that the weights are hingedly and directly connected with each other, thereby resulting in the flexible counterbalance. It is evident, however. that the weights may be disconnected or separated so as to have a spaced relation, and, further, that said weights may be flexibly attached in any other desired manner. In addition to the tongue 25 each weight is provided with a cross rod 22 the latter being positioned intermediate the recess 24 and tongue 25, said cross rod extending beyond'the side edges of the weight member, and at the proper time fitting in the notches or recesses 22 of the sprocketwheels, whereby each weight member 28 is adapted for engagement firmly with the sprocket wheels as the counterbalance passes over the-shaft 14. The hinged door isconnected operatively with one section of the two-part drum by an intermediate flexible connection, the same being herein shown as a cable 26. In Fig. 3 the counterbalance is used in connection with a comparatively light door 10 and cable'26 isconnected at one end to a staple 27 attached to the door, the other end of said cable being connected with'the larger section 17 of the two-part drum. When the counterbalance is used in connection with a heavier door, such as the two-part door of Figs. 1 and 2, then it ispreferred to employ a bridle 28 in connection with cable 26, and to attach said cable '26 to the smaller sec tion 18 of the'two-part drum, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. l i It is preferred to provide'means in'coop-i erative relation to the two parts 17, 18 of the drum and to the cable 26, whereby said cable 26- may be retainedin operative position relative to'either section, 17 or'18, of the two-part drum, as a result of which the cable may be coiled upon either section of the drum according as the counterbalance is used in connection with light or heavy doors.- The retaining means shown inFigs. 4: and 5. embodies a keeper 29 substantially in the shape of a staple, one end of the staple be-. ing attached to the larger drum section lZ, and the other end of the staplexattached to the smaller drum section 18. The staple is positioned radially with respect to the drum, and it spans the spacebetween the two sections 17,18 thereof. "Cable26' is "provided atone" end with an'eye or loop 30' which is slidably fitted to the keeper 29, whereby the eye or loop may be slipped along the keeper in order to change the position of cable 26 with reference to the larger and smaller drum sections 17, 18. In using the counterbalance in connection with the heavy door of Figs. 1 and 2, the eye 30 of the cable is adjusted on the keeper so as to position cable 26 for coiling upon drum section 18, but should it happen that the counterbalance is to be used in connection with the lighter door, such as shown in Fig. 3, then the eye or loop of the cable 26 is slipped along the keeper so as to position the cable to be coiled upon the larger section 17 of the drum. The described con struction enables the counterbalance of the cable to be used interchangeably with doors which vary in weight.

When bridle 28 is employed for connecting the cable 26 to the two-part sliding and hinged door of Figs. 1 and 2, said bridle is attached at its respective ends to staples 81 which are fastened rigidly to the channeled guides 13. The bridle is provided at its middle with a ring 32 to which one end of cable 26 is attached, whereby the pull of the counterweight upon the door is transmitted by a single cable to said door, and the strain is distributed equally upon the channelled guides at the respective sides of the door.

The operation is as follows: When the door is closed, as in Fig. 1, the counterbalance is so positioned upon the shaft that the weights are suspended from the respective sides of the shaft and nearly balance each other, thereby placing light tension upon the cable so as to keep it in a taut condition. Upon opening the door the weights hanging from one side of the shaft begin to descend, while the weights at the opposite side of the shaft will correspondingly ascend, whereby. the counterbalance will 'pass over the sprocket wheels and in engagementtherewith. The drum is thus rotated, and the cable 26 is coiled upon one part of the drum, the movement of the weights continuing until thedcor is opened to the desired extent. Should the door be opened to its widest extent, the greatest force or, weight will be exerted upon said door by the counterbalance acting through the cable 26, thus retaining the door in the open position. Should the door be opened only part way, say one-half of its fullest extent, the leverage exerted by therdoor will not be as great as" when the door is fully opened, for the reason that the counterbalance will not be suspended wholly from one side of shaft 14:. In other words, the pull of the cable upon the door will. be only one-half the capacity 'of the counterweight, for the reason that only that portion of the amount of. counterweight will depend from one side of the shaft. It is obvious thatuponclosing the door, the weights will return to their normal,

or nearly balanced position, relative to the drum and the shaft. 7

While I have shown and described the counterbalance as adapted for use in connection with horizontal swinging doors of piers and the like, it will be understood that said counterbalance may be used in connection with other devices and structures.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a counterbalance for doors and other structures, the combination of a member hinged for movement on a horizontal axis, a rotatable member, a tension member secured to said hinged member and adapted to be wound on the rotatable member, and a flexible counterweight engaging with the periphery of said rotatable member in such manner that the free ends of said flexible counterweight hang free, the rotation of the rotatable member causing the flexible counterweight to be shifted over said rotatable member to increase the weight of one depending portion of the counterweight and simultaneously decrease the weight of the other depending portion thereof, whereby said flexible counterweight serves, at all times, to substantially equilibrate the tension exerted on the tension member by the hinged member.

2. In a counterweight for doors, the combination with a door hinged for movement on a horizontal axis, of a winding drum, a cable coiled on said drum and connected with the door, and a flexible counterweight straddling the winding drum, said counterweight having lengths thereof depending from the drum at the respective sides of-the axis of rotation of the drum and said coun tel-weight .oeing shiftable relative to the drum by the rotation thereof so as to increase the effectiveness of the weight due to an increased pull of the door when moved toward an open position.

3. In a counterbalance for doors, a door hinged for movement on a horizontal axis, a shaft, a drum on said shaft, sprocket wheels on said drum, and a flexible counterweight engaging with said sprocket wheels, said counterweight comprising a plurality said door is in a closed position.

4. In a counterbalance for doors, the combination with a hinged door, of a counterbalance comprising a shaft, a drum on said I shaft, and connected with said door sprocket wheels on said drum, and a plurality of flexibly connected weights, said weights being positioned to pass over said drum'between the sprocket wheels. y

5. In a counterbalance for doors, the combination with a hinged door, of a counterbalance comprising a shaft, a drum rotatable with said shaft, and connected with said door sprocket wheels on said drum, and a plurality of flexibly connected weights adapted to pass over said drum, each of said weights being provided with means for engaging the sprocket wheels as said weights pass between said sprocket wheels.

6. In a counterbalance for doors, the combination'with a door hinged for movement on a horizontal axis, of a shaft, a drum on said shaft, a cable connecting said drum and the door, said cable being held taut at all times, a plurality of flexibly connected weights, said weights being adapted to pass over said drum and to impart rotation thereto as the door is moved to an open or a closed position.

7. In a device of the class described, a stepped drum, a cable cooperating with said drum, a counterbalance also cooperating with the drum, for substantially balancing the tension on the cable as it is wound on the drum, and means mounted on the drum and connecting the adjacent steps thereof,

means on the drum, whereby it is adapted to be shifted from one step of -the drum to the adjacent step thereof, for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the action of the counterbalance in assisting the operating of the cable.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE N. COLEJ Witnesses:

MORTIMER HENRY, G. WYMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. s I 

